1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image printing apparatus which prints an image on a sheet by, for example, electrophotography and a display control method for the apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrophotographic image printing apparatus such as a digital copying machine is known well, which forms a latent image by exposing the uniformly charged photosensitive layer of a photosensitive body to light, develops the latent image by making toner adhere to the photosensitive layer, and transfers the image onto a sheet, thus performing image printing.
Such an image printing apparatus has recently become increasingly multifunctional. Accordingly, the operation method and the like have become complicated, and so the user cannot memorize all the functions and sometimes needs to check an operation method or the like.
As an image printing apparatus becomes multifunctional, a so-called instruction manual, manual, or the like becomes large in volume. As a consequence, the user cannot easily consult the instruction manual. It is also very difficult for the user to find out necessary information.
In addition, when the user operates the image printing apparatus while looking at such a manual, the possibility of making an error in the operation of the apparatus increases because of, for example, difficulty in consulting the manual.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-3260 has been made under such circumstances, and is designed to display an operation method in text form on the operation panel of an image printing apparatus, thereby allowing the user to reliably perform his/her desired operation without any confusion.
It is known that in a conventional image printing apparatus, a help function of explaining operation in the apparatus when a help key is pressed is provided for an operating unit having both the function of a display unit which displays information to a user and the function of an input unit which receives an input from the user. The help function of the conventional image printing apparatus will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing display examples on the operation panel of the conventional image printing apparatus. FIG. 1A is a view showing a display window before pressing of the help key. FIG. 1B is a view showing a display window after pressing of the help key.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are views showing display examples on the operation panel of the conventional image printing apparatus. FIG. 2A is a view showing another example of the display window after pressing of the help key. FIG. 2B is a view showing an example of the display window displayed when a hard key is selected in the display window shown in FIG. 2A.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B, reference numeral 200 denotes a display window. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, reference numeral 201 denotes a button for selecting display of an explanation of the hard key provided in the image printing apparatus.
FIG. 1A shows a window for setting reading conditions for the operation of making the image printing apparatus read an original image. If the items displayed in the window 200 include any unclear item which demands an explanation, the user presses a help key (not shown).
When the help key is pressed while the window 200 in FIG. 1A is displayed, the window 200 switches to the window 200 which displays explanations of the respective items displayed in the window 200 in FIG. 1A.
Alternatively, when the user presses the help key, a help menu like the one shown in FIG. 2A can be displayed.
When the user presses a button assigned to one of the items in the window 200 of the help menu in FIG. 2A which corresponds contents which the user wants to know, the window 200 switches to the window 200 which displays an explanation of the item, as shown in FIG. 2B. FIG. 2B shows the display window 200 displayed when the user presses the button 201.
The following problems arise in the conventional image printing apparatus described above.
In the conventional image printing apparatus, when the user presses the help key, an explanation can be displayed to the user. However, since it is difficult for the user to specify information which he/she wants to know, information including explanations of various items like those shown in. FIG. 1B is displayed. That is, information which the user wants to know is not timely displayed. In addition, since explanations of various items are displayed in this manner, when such information is displayed within a limited display area, a sufficient explanation cannot be displayed.
Furthermore, in the prior art, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, although explanations of buttons, functions, and the like which are provided in advance are displayed, no explanation is given to the user concerning the state of the image printing apparatus which changes with the progress of operation, i.e., the state in which no copying operation can be done even when the copy start button is pressed to copy an original. This leads to poor operability.